Absolute Dweller-Chapter 217

After sending the mutant man to the barbecue restaurant, I used teleportation to follow him.

However, something strange was happening there.

“Uwaaaah!”

Just before the orientation was about to begin, the woman who had caused the trouble earlier was crying while hugging the mutant man.

“Huuuh. This must be an illusion, right? I’m just drunk and seeing things, right?”

She mumbled while sobbing, clearly drunk.

“…Aiko? Is it really you?”

“Hiroshi, you can’t disappear. Don’t leave me behind.”

The man fiercely embraced the woman and shouted.

“Aiko! It’s me! Hiroshi!”

“Ughhh.”

Their reunion was surprisingly short-lived.

The woman, completely drunk, passed out.

At that moment, Kim Da-bin approached me and spoke.

“Jae-hyun, everything is set up.”

“Where should I go?”

“Deputy Yang will guide you.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

As I looked at the mutant man, Kim Da-bin discreetly added.

“I’ll take them along.”

“Thank you.”

Following Deputy Yang’s guidance, we arrived at a room. The table was neatly set, and sitting next to it was a woman with a gloomy expression.

As soon as I entered, the woman stood up and bowed.

“M-Most welcome! I’m Ishikawa Yoko!”

Ishikawa Yoko was the woman assigned to act as the interpreter.

“Nice to meet you. I’m sorry for interrupting meal time. Please bear with me for a moment.”

“I-I’ll do my best!”

“Please sit down.”

There was originally an administrative staff member in charge of interpreting, but she had passed out from excessive drinking.

So, Ishikawa Yoko had been chosen as her replacement.

‘Anyway, I had some things to discuss separately.’

Ishikawa Yoko had temporarily been placed in charge due to her knowledge of Korean, and she had gained quite impressive abilities after registering as a vassal.

‘Telepathy.’

She had developed the ability to read minds.

‘That ability will make things much easier.’

Soon, I would need to interact with many different countries, including Japan, China, Russia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States. Every time we interacted with foreigners, we would need someone to interpret for us, which was a rather tedious task.

But with telepathy, that problem would be solved.

As long as I could read the person’s mind, I could use telepathy to communicate, regardless of the language barrier.

‘No more lying either.’

Furthermore, Ishikawa Yoko’s trust level was rising quickly.

Without doing anything special, her trust level had already surpassed the 70s.

But then.

[The trust of Citizen Ishikawa Yoko is increasing significantly.]

‘Hmm?’

Unexpectedly, Ishikawa Yoko’s trust level rose above 90.

I turned to look at her, puzzled, and our eyes met.

Ishikawa Yoko seemed a bit flustered, trembling, and bowed her head.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stare...”

“It’s fine. Staring doesn’t wear anything out.”

Thanks to the “Dignity of the Absolute” skill, I was already quite used to such experiences.

It wasn’t unusual for me to experience this kind of thing when I went out to eat or just walked around.

Not even a moment ago, she had apologized, yet here she was, still staring at me.

I pretended not to notice, but then Ishikawa Yoko spoke quietly.

“How can you do that?”

“Hmm...?”

“Ah, it’s just...”

Ishikawa Yoko paused for a moment before continuing.

“Actually... my ears have been feeling a little strange since earlier.”

“...”

“I’ve been hearing strange sounds, like hallucinations... but I think they’re the thoughts of people. But now, I don’t hear anything. That’s why I was curious and kept looking at you...”

It seemed she hadn’t yet realized her ability.

So I told her.

“The voices you’re hearing are real thoughts. That’s your awakened ability.”

“Eh...?”

I used telepathy to make sure my explanation was clear.

[Telepathy. That’s your ability.]

“Ah...!”

At that, Ishikawa Yoko was startled and asked.

“This voice...!”

By now, Ishikawa Yoko had gotten very close to me.

“You’re the one, aren’t you?”

[Most likely, yes.]

“That green light... that was your power, wasn’t it?”

[Is this what you’re referring to?]

I briefly spread the vitality of the World Tree.

[The trust of Citizen Ishikawa Yoko is increasing.]

[The loyalty of Citizen Ishikawa Yoko is increasing.]

[The trust of Citizen Ishikawa Yoko has reached 100.]

[‘Telepathy’ has been acquired.]

“Of course, it was you! I only heard that you were someone high up... but you’re my life saver!”

I had intentionally demonstrated the vitality of the World Tree to increase her trust, but I hadn’t expected it to work so well.

As soon as she acquired telepathy, I could see into her mind.

(This really is him! If it weren’t for him, I would have died.)

Her feelings of gratitude flowed freely into my mind.

(I’ll dedicate the rest of my life to him. That’s the only way to repay this debt.)

Her overwhelming gratitude was a bit much, but it was clear.

And then.

Knock knock

Kim Da-bin arrived.

“Jae-hyun, may I come in?”

“Yes, please come in.”

A man entered as the door opened.

But as soon as he stepped in, he immediately dropped to the floor and bowed deeply.

“I will serve you as my lord, for the rest of my life! I swear my loyalty!”

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It seemed that Kim Da-bin had explained something to him, and what was strange was that I could understand his words.

‘What’s going on?’

Moreover, it felt like I could speak Japanese if I really wanted to.

And then.

[The loyalty of Citizen Nakamoto Hiroshi is increasing.]

[The loyalty of Citizen Nakamoto Hiroshi has reached 100.]

[Citizen Nakamoto Hiroshi has been registered as a vassal.]

[The vassal limit has increased.]

The kanji name that appeared in the system messages began to display in Korean characters.

‘This is...?’

The reason it suddenly appeared in Korean, instead of kanji, was simple.

‘It’s because Ishikawa Yoko’s trust has reached 100.’

It seemed that with trust reaching 100, what was gained wasn’t just the awakening abilities of the target.

‘Language ability... and maybe physical abilities or mental strength are transferred as well?’

It seemed like a plausible idea.

I wanted to think about it more, but I couldn’t leave Nakamoto Hiroshi, who was still kneeling, without addressing him, so I decided to think later.

I spoke in Japanese.

“Please, sit here. I have some things I want to ask. Let’s talk while we eat.”

Surprisingly fluent Japanese came out of my mouth.

Immediately, Ishikawa Yoko, who was sitting beside me as the interpreter, looked shocked and asked.

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t speak Japanese?”

“I just learned it.”

“…?”

Deputy Yang, who was sitting next to the table grilling meat, also asked the same question.

“You spoke in Japanese, right?”

This time, I answered in Korean.

“Yes, I just learned it.”

“Pardon?”

Deputy Yang stared at me for a moment, stunned, and then asked.

“Is that even possible?”

“It worked.”

“Hmm…”

Anyway, this made communication with Nakamoto Hiroshi much easier.

I turned to look at him, still kneeling, and asked.

“Do you still remember your time as a mutant?”

“…Not much. There are a few scattered memories, but…”

He seemed hesitant to speak, but with my telepathy, it wasn’t a problem.

I could read his true thoughts — how he only remembered fragments of his actions when he killed people and tasted blood.

It seemed like Ishikawa Yoko, sitting beside me, was also shocked, holding her mouth in disbelief.

“Ugh!”

Seeing her gag, it was clear.

I quickly changed the subject.

“You don’t need to go into detail. Then, is your memory before becoming a mutant intact?”

“Yes. It seems to be.”

“If you don’t mind, could you tell me more about what happened when you turned into a mutant?”

“Sure. It was just another day when I went hunting with my comrades. Unfortunately, we encountered a mutant, and I ended up getting infected. That’s all.”

Apart from his spoken words, I was able to gather more information through his real-time thoughts.

(How’s Takeo doing?)

(That annoying guy, I met him too. What was his name again? Takahashi?)

(Right. Just before I turned into a monster, that guy shot a bullet into my neck. Because of him, I almost ended up paralyzed, even after returning to my human form. I’ll make sure to repay him for that debt.)

However, there was a misunderstanding.

I opened my mouth to clear it up.

“Do you remember the bullet that was lodged in your neck?”

“…Yes. How could I forget the bullet that was lodged in my neck just a moment ago?”

“It’s possible that the reason you could return to being human was because of that bullet.”

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“…Really?”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t a fabricated story.

When he acquired citizenship and returned to being human, I had seen it clearly.

The crimson energy that had surrounded his entire body.

Even though it was weak, there was undoubtedly a divine presence emanating from it.

And.

“The energy that turned you into a monster was blocked from reaching your brain by the bullet. Although it’s still just a guess, it’s highly likely that the bullet allowed you to retain your sanity even when you became a mutant. It might also be the reason you were purified when you gained citizenship.”

If my assumption was correct, Nakamoto Hiroshi was an incredibly lucky case.

“So, you should actually be thankful to the man who shot you.”

“…!”

Nakamoto Hiroshi’s face clearly showed his surprise.

After all, the man he had thought was his enemy had turned out to be his savior.

He was confused.

“It’s like catching a rat while taking a step back, but I suppose he’s someone I should be thankful to.”

“…Jae-hyun is absolutely right. If I ever meet him again, I’ll be sure to thank him.”

It was a relief.

The man who had shot at him earlier, Takahashi Ryou, was currently grilling meat nearby.

This would prevent any trouble from arising later.

‘They might even become friends.’

The woman, likely Nakamoto Hiroshi’s lover, and Takahashi Ryou were among the most capable individuals among the Japanese who had recently joined.

If they formed a team together, they would make a great hunting group.

“Our goal is twofold. First, to save as many people as possible. And second, to eliminate the roots that create mutants.”

Hearing my words, Nakamoto Hiroshi looked at me with burning intensity.

Meeting his gaze, I spoke.

“Would you lend me your strength?”

Nakamoto Hiroshi spoke with certainty in his eyes.

“As I said before, my life already belongs to you. I will prove my loyalty with my body and soul.”

“That’s reassuring.”

The meat was beginning to cook.

“Let’s eat first.”

As we ate the grilled meat and drank, just then.

[An unauthorized individual is attempting to enter.]

An uninvited guest had arrived.